Cosmetic cleansing compositions not only must have cleansing action but must be non-irritating to the skin and the eyes. The major use for cosmetic cleansing compositions is in shampoos; other uses include liquid skin cleanser, baby baths, bubble baths and the like. A suitable detergent for shampoos must remove the surface grease and leave the hair and scalp clean. In addition it should leave the hair lustrous, soft and manageable; still further, it is desirable that it has good lathering properties for consumer acceptability.
Synthetic detergents include anionics, cationics, amphoterics and nonionics. The detergents generally having the most superior properties in terms of foaming, cleaning and end result attributes are the anionic detergents. Thus, most shampoo and cleansing formulations contain anionic detergents. These detergents however have a tendency to be very irritating to the skin and the eyes. For this reason anionic detergent compositions usually are modified by substituting a significant amount of nonionic detergents which are generally mild although of less effective cleansing ability. Certain amphoteric detergents are reported to have a low eye irritation potential. In an article on "Baby Shampoos" by H. S. Mannheimer, American Perfumer, 76, 36-37 (1961), there is described surface active agents which are complexes of an anionic surface active agent and a particular type of amphoteric surface active agent and which are urged to be non-irritating to the eyes. A number of similar compositions are available commercially and while they are milder than conventional shampoos, they are still found to be irritating. Thus, there is still a need for a shampoo and other cosmetic cleansing compositions in which irritancy can be substantially eliminated.
In several U.S. patents there are described compositions in which both amphoteric and nonionic surfactants are incorporated in anionic surfactant compositions. Thus, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,999,069 and 3,055,836 there are described shampoo compositions comprising certain mixtures of ethoxylated anionic, amphoteric and polyethoxylated nonionic surfactants. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,251 there are described shampoo compositions comprising certain mixtures of anionic, nonionic and zwitterionic surfactants. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,417 shampoo compositions are described for which low ocular irritancy is urged; in these compositions nonionic and amphoteric surfactants have been added to modify anionic surfactants. All of these compositions include a nonionic detergent as an essential component.
Cationic detergents are usually poor in detergency and also harsh to skin and eyes. Thus, beside the certain amphoteric imidazolium compounds, detergents having a positively charged hydrophilic portion are not usual components of cosmetic cleansing compositions.
Although compounds having two terminal polar groups which embrace acid, ester, amide, hydroxyl, amine, quaternary ammonium, sulfate, sulfonate, etc. and which contain a cyclic moiety in the divalent chain between the polar groups are broadly urged to be useful as mildness additives for various detergents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,538,009; 3,630,934; 3,769,242; 3,798,182; 3,813,350; 3,947,382), acyclic alkyleneoxylated bisquaternary ammonium compounds are not known to have mildness imparting properties and have not been formulated in shampoo or cosmetic cleansing compositions. Alkyleneoxylated bisquaternary ammonium compounds have been employed as antistatic agents for fibers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,633 (corr. German Pat. No. 2,335,675); wetting and washing agents and as dressing for artificial silk, British Pat. No. 474,671; agents for treating clays to prevent swelling, U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,032; agents for imparting water resistant properties to felts, German Pat. No. 2,509,741; and when employed as a perchlorate, as photographic sensitizers, U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,902. Although certain alkyleneoxylated monoquaternary ammonium compounds are taught in hair rinsing compositions for improving combing properties (U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,591) their use in shampoo or cosmetic cleansing compositions are not known. Quaternary ammonium compounds are not expected to be useful in compositions which have low eye irritation potential. In an article entitled "Shampoos" by D. H. Powers, in "Cosmetics: Science and Technology," Wiley-Interscience, 1972, the author points out on pages 94 and 96, the harshness and irritation to eyes and skin of cationic detergents or compounds with cationic tendency. Thus, it is unexpected that by the compositions and methods of the present invention it has been possible to greatly reduce eye irritation potential below that of the mildest compositions heretofore known without reducing the effective cleansing properties.